Soon the semester will end and while many may feel a sigh a relief that all the assignments, projects and exams will be put to rest for the time being, it all seems like a bittersweet finish for me.

This particular semester was full of large and elaborate projects to complete.

From making sense out of new software to figuring out how to become an expert at every little aspect in each of the project-heavy courses, this semester has been full of worries and troubles.

Aside from the many projects, a couple more unplanned events threw a monkey wrench into my finely set schedule. There were some family issues among other personal issues but that is a subject for another column. What will be remembered most about this semester will be the sometimes massive workload.

They took a great deal of time, patience and know-how to accomplish. Something that I definitely wouldn’t be able to do had I taken on these projects years ago.

One of the most important projects, however, was the development of a new design for a real publication: the La Verne Magazine.

It started as a minor assignment as a part of a new course for the communications department. A suggestion from the magazine adviser and the professor teaching the advanced design course, the redesign was presumed to take a month or two to accomplish. This, however, was not the case.

The current design is not awful. In fact, the magazine has been consistent in winning awards for its content and design in the past.

So, why fix what is not broken? Like all publications, whether it a magazine or newspaper, there comes a time when a little face lift is necessary to keep with current trends.

Publications are constantly updating and redesigning the look to keep their readers attracted.

In the new version of the La Verne Magazine, there will be some changes and additions. The overall goal of the redesign was to give the Magazine a more contemporary feel to correspond with the bulk of its readership.

The general layout has been given a free-flowing feel that still gives a focus on the text but does not become overwhelming. The placement of text and the addition of a set color scheme will add to the Magazine’s personality and its readability.

The new look for the Magazine was a large project and my hope is that all that work will pay off in the end. Will more people read it because of the pretty colors and easy-to-read text? Probably not. But those who do decide to read it, may find the new design a delight, not a chore like in other magazines.

I won’t be giving too much away, you’ll just have to wait for the winter issue to come out to see, but reviews have been positive so far. OK, one more tidbit of information, although there have been some changes in the way the La Verne Magazine looks, the publication’s philosophy and range in content will not be changed, just the way it is presented.

How long will this particular design be in place? I can’t say for sure. It could be just for this next issue, or it could last for 10 years. It’s not up to me, but it’s good to know that I have contributed in some way to a national award-winning magazine.

Andres Rivera, a senior journalism major, is Web editor of the Campus Times. He can be reached by e-mail at arivera3@ulv.edu.